


as the shrike to your sharp (and glorious thorn)

by rories



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21912640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rories/pseuds/rories
Summary: ”Have you ever been in love, Lady Sif?” asks one of the handmaidens on Vanir as she brushes out Sif’s hair.“Yes,” she says and does not elaborate.  She’s worried that the other woman will question her and she isn’t sure if she has the emotional ability to deal with it today.“How did it end?” the young woman asks, shocking Sif to the core.She smiles at her reflection in the mirror, thinking for a moment that she can see him behind her.  “It hasn’t,” she answers and in a flash of green he is gone.
Relationships: Loki/Sif
Comments: 10
Kudos: 65
Collections: Mischief and Mistletoe 2019





	as the shrike to your sharp (and glorious thorn)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lizardbeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizardbeth/gifts).



> title from hozier
> 
> post-ragnarok, pre-iw. mostly set somewhere in the mid-credits we'll say.
> 
> credit to The Get Out for a quote used in one section.

Sif hears her brother’s call in her head early in the morning. She’s washing her face in the water basin provided for her when Heimdall’s soft voice rings clear in her mind. “Sister,” he says. “Asgard needs your help.” 

The way he says it makes her blood run cold, the hair on the back of her neck raising at his tone. “Heimdall?” she questions, but there’s only silence in response. “Heimdall!” 

She gathers her things, shoving spare clothes into her bag and explaining hastily to her hosts that she’s needed elsewhere. 

It doesn’t take her long to find a ship off Vanir but she pays handsomely for it, well above what she would normally try to barter for, but all she can hear is the sound of Heimdall’s voice calling out to her. The expanse of empty space does nothing to ease the nervous fear buzzing under her skin. 

She jumps to Asgard, her ship lurching as it shudders in to hyperdrive, and her heart beats erratically in her chest as it slows nearing the coordinates to home she’d put in. But when she looks out over where her home would be, there is nothing but rocks spinning, the remains of homes and towers floating slowly across her helm, a vast wasteland of destruction and her stomach plummets. 

Sif is quick to turn to her controls, navigating through the remains of her home as she tries to reconcile the fact that the place she loves so much is gone. She doesn’t cry, not yet anyway, but she swallows hard around the lump in her throat. She’s not certain where to go from here, from the open emptiness that stretches out in front of her, and then the decision is made for her. 

The incoming signal makes her jump before she scrambles for the controls again, isolating the signal with long sweeps of her fingers. It’s a distress signal from an Asgardian ship, that much she can tell, so she reconfigures her coordinates and guides the ship into a sure and steady flight pattern, hoping against hope that she’ll be able to find her family. 

*****

_”Mother saw the end, you know,” he says, his warm breath coasting over the skin of her bare stomach where his head rests._

_“The end?” she mumbles sleepily, her fingers running through his still slightly damp dark hair._

_“Of Asgard. Ragnarok.” He shifts so he can see up the planes of her body, squeezing her hip as he does so. “She told me about it when I was young.” His voice is quiet in the darkness of her room and she doesn’t know if it’s because of the late hour or fear of getting caught._

_Sif hums in response and her fingers slow their movement. “It’s just a myth, Loki,” she says softly, half asleep. She really should tell him to leave. If they’re caught together, it will be the end of them both._

_“And if it’s not? Frigga has not often been wrong about these things.” There’s something in his voice that has her cracking her eyes open again, her hand resting on his jaw. “I could not bear-”_

_He cuts himself off and presses his face into her stomach to hide his face._

_Sif sighs and runs her hand over his hair again, tugging slightly at the strands at the base of his neck to force him to look at her. “It is a myth and nothing more,” she says firmly, though she’s unsure if it’s to reassure him or herself. She tugs again to guide him up her body, wrapping her other arm around his lithe shoulders when he settles up at her chest._

_“Just a myth.”_

*****

She follows the signal to a ship, one she doesn’t recognize and that is in several pieces, and has to quickly turn on her ship’s cloaking device when a second ship also comes into her view. Sif guides her ship into a port and quickly stealths towards the control room, assuming that is where Thor is, should he still be alive. She tries to call out to Heimdall, but again there is no answer and it makes her blood run cold. 

There’s a soft noise to her right as she sneaks down the hall and when she looks, a young boy is waving at her. “What’s going on?” she asks, slipping in to a room behind him. 

“We got boarded, Thor had us hide,” an older woman says and when Sif looks around, there’s a handful of Asgardians pressed as far back in the room as possible. 

“And Heimdall?” Sif asks almost desperately. 

“At the helm with Thor and Loki,” the same woman answers. 

Sif sighs and thinks quickly, determining her next steps. “How many are left?” 

That lump from before comes back as the old woman looks away. “Not many,” she says, her voice thick. “Heimdall got many of us out of Asgard when Hela attacked.” 

Sif furrows her brows, reaching deep in her memories for mentions of Hela and only remembering small stories, so doesn’t say anything as the woman continues. “Prince Loki got us on the ship.” Sif isn’t sure her brows can get any closer, but she still doesn’t respond. “There were barely a hundred left when _they_ showed up and -” 

Sif doesn’t need the woman to finish. 

She swallows hard and settles a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she says before standing straight. “Are there escape pods on this ship?” she asks, looking to the group of Asgardians behind her. A young soldier, pressing a part of his cape to a sluggishly bleeding wounded woman, speaks up. 

“Yes. Valkyrie has been escorting us a few at a time.”

“A Valkyrie?” Sif asks, shocked and a little jealous. And it must be some sort of divine providence because right at that moment, the door slides open again and a woman about her age pokes her head in. 

“There’s a few more pods, let’s go,” the Valkyrie says before freezing when she sees a new face. Sif can see her reaching for a weapon and puts her hands up. 

“Wait, wait, I am Lady Sif,” she says quickly. “I came to help.” 

*****

_”Lady Sif!” the runner calls, skidding to a stop in front of her. Sif lowers her practice weapon, grinning slightly at the young boy. “King Odin has requested an audience.”_

_Sif has been expecting this for awhile, after Loki’s death and Thor’s long absence. She’s honestly shocked it has taken as long as it has for Odin to call her forth._

_Still, she does not hesitate to make her way to the throne room, smoothing her clothes as she goes. “King Odin, you asked to speak with me?”_

_“Lady Sif,” the king says and there is something in his voice that makes her pause. “Come up here, please, Lady Sif.”_

_No one really goes up to Odin’s throne unless they are Thor or Frigga or Loki, and Sif is immediately nervous. But she slowly ascends the steps until she stands in front of her king, keeping her eyes down and her hands behind her back._

_“You know that I value your skills in battle, Lady Sif,” the king starts. And your friendship with Thor is admirable.”_

_He pauses for a moment, but when she doesn’t respond beyond a slight nod of her head, he continues._

_“You have been a great asset to Asgard during times of unrest and all of Asgard appreciates your time and effort in keeping it safe. That being said, Lady Sif, I think there are other kingdoms that could use your skills.”_

_He pins Sif with a stare, his one good eye seemingly seeing everything about her._

_“Vanir awaits you, Lady Sif.”_

_Sif’s body does something strange then where her blood runs cold and her face and her neck flare with heat. “Sir,” she starts and then flinches when Odin holds his hand up. He looks almost sad as he finishes._

_“Lady Sif, Asgard no longer requires your services.”_

*****

She lets Valkyrie and Korg, the Kronan who appeared at Valkyrie’s side, take the rest of the Asgardians to the escape pods, watching the hallway as they quietly make there way down it. When she feels they are safe, she heads towards the bridge, ignoring the ominous feeling building beneath her breastbone. 

Sif finds a hiding spot out of the way, one where she can still see the group of people at the controls. She see Thor, bruised and bloody on the ground and not far from him, her brother, trembling as he watches the group of mercenaries that have lain waste to her people. And there, in the middle, is Loki, face dirty and eyes wild. 

She swallows hard at the amount of bodies scattered around the bridge and blinks furiously at the few people she recognizes. However many Asgardians had gotten off Asgard before it was destroyed, there are less than half now. She sneers with disgust as one of the creatures casually steps over the bodies of her fallen people. 

“Hear me, and rejoice,” the creature says. “You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan. You may think this is suffering - no. It is salvation. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death, you have become Children of Thanos.”

Sif wants to vomit at the sound of pride and reverence in his voice and her body vibrates with energy from holding herself back. But she knows that with Thor and Heimdall down, she and Loki would not be able to survive for long. 

The voice that rings out from the open maw of the ship’s side makes her blood run cold. She’s not heard it before, but the meaning behind his words are full of hatred and power. No matter who this titan is, she knows that he will not leave here without killing as many people as possible. 

She watches as Thor barely struggles in the titan’s grasp and then has to turn away as a large purple hand clamps over Thor’s head. She can’t hear much of what he says, but she knows it’s indignant and irritated. But she can hear Loki’s response when Thanos gives him an ultimatum, the Tesseract or Thor. 

Sif wants to rush in as she watches Thor struggle against Thanos, but a small voice in her head whispers _don’t_ and it sounds suspiciously like Loki. So she holds and jumps slightly when Loki yells out. 

She’s livid when Loki produces the Tesseract and wants to throttle him herself and then Thor is thrown to the ground as Thanos palms the cube. 

“I assure you, brother... the sun will shine on us again,” she hears from below followed by Thanos’ reply, arrogant and annoying. 

“Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian.”

“Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian. And for another... we have a Hulk.” And before Sif can wonder who taught Loki to talk like that, the world explodes in a flash of green skin and roaring. 

*****

_”Have you ever been in love, Lady Sif?” asks one of the handmaidens on Vanir as she brushes out Sif’s hair._

_Sif holds her breath for a moment before taking a deep and calming breath and answering. “Yes,” she says and does not elaborate. She’s worried that the other woman will question her and she isn’t sure if she has the emotional ability to deal with it today._

_“How did it end?” the young woman asks, shocking Sif to the core._

_She should be sad to answer, to think of her love left far away from her, to be buried on another realm entirely. But instead she can only think of how happy he had made her, how she was sure she would see him someday soon, in Valhalla, where they would find peace in each other’s arms._

_She smiles at her reflection in the mirror, thinking for a moment that she can see him behind her. “It hasn’t,” she answers and in a flash of green he is gone._

*****

The roaring is loud as the two giant beings slam into each other and she watches as Loki scurries toward his brother. She loses sight of them for a moment as Thanos and The Hulk fight each other and when she finally clocks them again, Thor is pushing Loki in the other direction and picking up a metal bar and heading towards Thanos, full of rage. 

She sees Loki heading right in her direction and waits for the right moment before making herself known. The look of shock and surprise on his face makes her smirk before she’s pulling him down into her hiding spot. 

“Sif!” he says low, grabbing on to her elbow as he lowers himself beside her. “I-” 

“You’ll explain everything later,” she says before she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him tightly to her. She feels him hesitate for only a moment before his hands are gripping her shoulders to get just a little closer. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers into her hair but she just shakes her head and pulls back, moving her hands to frame his face.

“Not right now,” she replies and then they’re interrupted by a dull clang as Thor hits Thanos with the metal bar. 

They both watch as the King of Asgard is tossed aside and then wrapped in metal. In the relative silence of the post-battle scene, Sif can hear her brother’s muttered words from where he’s laying among the wreckage. 

“Allfathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time,” the guardian mutters and in a burst of rainbow light, the Asgardians see The Hulk lifted up and carried away on the Bifrost. Sif blinks away the spots in her eyes just in time to see Thanos landing a fatal blow in her brother’s chest. 

Thor’s “NO!” echoes and were it not for Loki’s quickness in covering her mouth, Sif’s own anguish would have given them away. Instead, Loki pulls her to him, facing her away from the last of her family and looking her in the eyes. She can see the fear and regret and sadness, but all she can feel is pain and she trembles in his grip. 

She has no time to wallow, however, as Thanos crushes the Tesseract in his hand and they both look on with horror as he attaches it to the metal glove covering his hand. 

“Sif,” Loki says, letting his gaze wander the planes of her face. She wonders what he plans to say in that moment of all moments, but instead of saying anything, he kisses her deeply, one hand buried in her hair. “Trust me,” he whispers as he breaks away, resting his forehead on hers. 

“Always,” she says back, heart aching. 

She’s not sure what he has planned so she jumps when she hears his voice, louder but also across the room from her. When she looks in that direction, Loki is there, offering his services to the Black Order. 

But he is also in front of her, eyes closed in concentration as he conjures. She grips his hands tight, prepared to pull him away if needed and keeping an eye on his illusion. 

She watches as the illusion pledges his loyalty, claims himself the rightful king of Jotunheim, finally claims his Asgardian heritage. 

And then tries to stab a dagger in Thanos’ throat.

The hand that grabs Loki is large around his neck, barely even squeezing, but even from here she can see his face turning blue. In front of her, his skin is still pale and smooth, though she sees the beads of sweat on his brow. 

She knows how hard this must be to keep up such a level of illusion. This is so much different than conjuring duplicates to distract enemies, this is fully manifesting a physical version of himself and she can see him straining with effort to keep up the lie. 

Sif can’t help but watch, cannot look away from the scene below, and even though she knows it’s not real, the choking noises and strained voice that comes from Loki makes her heart hurt. 

“You will never be a god,” the illusion chokes out and Sif flinches as Thanos squeezes once more and Loki goes limp. Her hands, now wrapped around Loki’s forearms in front of her, tighten slightly, just to make sure he’s real. 

He is still concentrating, his face pale and sweating, and Sif can hear the broken voice of Thor as the Black Order prepares to leave as a pulse of energy shudders through the remains of the ship. 

“We need to get out of here,” Sif whispers as low as she can. “Loki, please, we need to go.” She starts to pull him up, taking on most of his weight, and she hears him sigh heavily against her. There’s another pulse of energy as Sif bends and slings Loki over her shoulder. She can feel that he’s still tense, but she moves quickly down the hallway anyway, towards her ship, and halfway there, she feels him relax and she knows that he’s lost consciousness. 

She’s careful when she sets him in the co-pilot’s chair, tucking his hair back from his face before settling into her own seat. She’s quick to start up the ship, pulling quick out of the port and flying as far away as she can. Just in time for the rest of the wreckage to blow apart, pushing her ship with the force of the explosion. 

Sif looks over at Loki, pale and slumped in the seat and breathes a small sigh of relief. She doesn’t know where to go or what to do, but none of that seems important compared to him.

*****

_She dreams of different people from time to time. She dreams of sparring with The Warrior Three, perfecting the skills she’s been trained in since birth. She dreams of their smiling faces, Volstagg’s bolstering laugh, Fandral’s arrogant smile, Hogun’s mysterious smirk. She hopes that wherever they are, be in Valhalla or anywhere else, that they are safe and happy._

_She dreams of Thor as well. Her dearest friend, so many years spent fighting at his side, and they never lost their youthful camaraderie. She thinks of all of the tragedies he’s faced and how much stronger he’s become on the other side of them and she’s never been more proud. She hopes that wherever he’s ended up that he can find happiness as well._

_She dreams of Heimdall, her sweet brother, her silent protector for so many years. Her dreams of him are always happy, always strong, and her heart feels full to bursting. She _knows_ that she will see him again one day. _

_But mostly she dreams of Loki. Of their shy glances as teenagers, of the first time she snuck him to her quarters, of the awkward way they had fallen together so many years ago. She dreams of how they had learned each other, how well they know each other now, and how he can still surprise her. She dreams of the happiness she had found in his arms, of the future she could have had with him, and sometimes those dreams turn bittersweet. She dreams of the first time he told her he loved her, whispered soft and sweet into her hair, a contrast to his usual cold and calculating demeanor. She dreams of how she had flushed with pleasure before echoing the words._

_Even after he had gone, she dreams of him, of the lost life they could have had, of what she would say if only he would return. She dreams of the relief and anger he brings out and she dreams of taking him into her arms again, gripping tight as he promises to never leave again._

_She dreams of many people, but mostly she dreams of him._

*****

The coordinates from Valkyrie make finding Midgard the long way around a little bit easier. She lands the ship in a large field of green between two of the escape pods and powers it down. Her hands are shaking, the rush of adrenaline finally wearing off and leaving behind a sense of dread and, maybe not so strangely, hope. 

She turns to wake Loki only to find him already awake and staring out the window into the field. “Loki?” she questions, voice low. He doesn’t say anything, but tries to stand slowly from his chair, prompting her to leap up and help. He leans heavily on her shoulder, allowing her to lead him from the ship. 

When they exit, the sky is grey and the grass is a bright green for miles around them. She can see Asgardians still making their way from the pods, quietly look around with nervousness and trepidation. She can hear Valkyrie calling people over and Sif has every faith that she has it under control, especially with Korg’s optimistic voice chiming in. So she stays back with Loki, still holding him up slightly as they look out over the field. 

“Are you okay?” she asks, though she knows the answer. 

“I will be.” His breaths are still shallow and his face is sullen, but she still allows him to stand on his own two feet as she moves to stand in front of him. 

“We will be,” she says in return, pushing his hair back from his face. He finally looks at her and it’s like it’s the first time all over again. She can see the warmth in his eyes reserved only for her and she smiles against his mouth when he presses his lips to hers. 

“We will be.”


End file.
